J 90 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



[Apuil 



their ongui in vegetable matter ; facts which he thought 

 must strike the most unobservant, that the air, producing 

 as it did these vegetable product must possess some- 

 thing more than a mere inert mix ure of elastic fluids. 

 He r e fe rred to the advantages derived by real science, 

 though unintentionally, by the labours of the alchemists 

 in their researches lor gold and the elixir of life ; but 

 especially to the philosophical and more legitimate 

 investigations of Priestley, Bergmrui, Scheele, Lavoisier, 

 and De Saueeure, whose genius in the direction of 

 their experiments on air was only equalled by their 

 candour aud diffidence in deducing their results. 

 These researches had first their application to the 

 phenomena of animal and life, and subsequently to 

 those of vegetation. Prof. Way then proceeded "to 

 explain the composition of the atmosphere, and the 

 negative character of the nitrogen it contained," as con- 

 trolling the active chemcal nature of the oxygen. He 

 stated that the carbonic acid gas mixed with the atmo- 

 sphere, though small in proportion to the oxygen and 

 nitrogen, was sufficient in amount to furnish carbon for 

 the constitution of the whole of the coal-fields of the 

 globe. He had nothing to remark, as new, on the 

 watery vapour in the atmosphere. The most interest- 

 ing subject of consideration at tiie present time was the 

 occurrence of ammonia and of nitric acid in the air, 

 and the mode in which their presence could here' ered 

 still moreavailahle to the purposes of agriculture. He then 

 explained how everything organic r aired by plants 

 could be furnished by these four most powerful elements 

 of the atmosphere audits aqueous vapour, namely, oxy- 

 gen, hydro n, carb , and nitrogen. He described the 

 recent experiments «>*' M. Bous^ingault, and also those of 

 AI. Ville (splendidly illustrated in a work presented to 

 the Society by the French Government), referring to the 

 ▼iews on scientific principles ef agriculture just pub- 

 lished by Professor l.iebig, the deductions of Mr. Pusey, 

 the elaborate researches of Mr. Lawes, and the ex- 

 periments of M. Barril. Me alluded to the amount of 

 ammonia in rain-water, iew, and fog*, and to the in- 

 sufficiency of the methods hitherto employed for a? re- 

 taining the proportion of nitric acid in the air. He called 

 attention to the large amount of ammonia constantly 

 taken up by the soil, end washing into the land by rain; 

 and to the great importance, consequently, of exposing the 

 soil in such a n Deer to atmospheric influence as may 

 best tend to this ammoniacal absorption. Fallowing of 

 land, he remarked, had given way to rotation of crops ; 

 bat that there was no such thing as such a simple rest- 

 ing as fallowing was supposed to imply in this case, for 

 an alteration of the soil under the influence of oxygen 

 was constantly going on. Every interval even, between 

 one crop and another, was in reality a fallow. Land 

 should be laid up as lightly as possible, for the purpose 

 of its aeration. The working of land, with a view to 

 this abundant ration, was one important means of 

 improvement. He regarded it as indispensable to the 

 full development of the powers of soil that steam- 

 power should be brought to bear effectively upon its 

 cultivation. The amazing bulk of ammonia locked uj 

 in the land itself could not be taken up by plants, 

 and would, therefore, remain in a form unavailable 

 for vegetation, unless the management of soil 

 tended to release such manuring matter, and brincr 

 it within the reach of the roots. He had calcu- 

 lated, from data furnished by some rich loamy land of 

 tertiary drift, that the soil within available depths con- 

 tained ammonia at the rate of one ton (equal to six tons 

 of guano) per acre. This was a stock of wealth which 

 would repay the most active measures being taken for its 

 release and distribution. He then passed on to the sub- 

 ject of green manuring, and to that of draining, and the 

 importance of a free aeration of the soil and increased 

 absorption of ammonia, after the water had been duly 

 carried off.— The Rev. JL Vernon Harcourt referred to 

 the manner in which certain fungi absorbed nitrogen 

 and the phosphates during the growth, and yielded 

 ammonia and phosphates to the soil on their death and 

 decomposition.—- Professor Way explained the theory of 

 fairy rings, given by him in the Journal some years ago; 

 and his supposition that the development and expansion 



of the cells of the fungi attracted their air manure. Dr. 



Calvert called attention to the electrical effects produced 

 in the atmosphere by thunder-storms, and to the subse- 

 quent rapid vegetation in moorland districts; also to the 

 theory of nitrification in nitre-beds. 



On the motion of Mr. Raymond Barker, seconded by 

 Dr. Calvert, the best thanks tff the Council were given 

 to Professor Way for the able and interesting lecture 

 he had then delivered. The President, on putting the 

 lotion (which was carried unanimously), added his 

 tribute of praise, remarking that nothing could more 

 effectually, he thought, call thinking minds into operation 

 than the science and the researches of the able men 

 whose philosophical labours Professor Way had then 

 brought under the review of the meeting. He delighted, 

 as one of the earliest members of the Societv, to witness 

 the successful manner in which practice and science 

 were more nearly approaching each other, for the more 

 secure guidance of practical farmers, and for the benefit 

 generally of the agricultural world. 







Mil 



Farm Memoranda. 



Dorsetshire.— James John Farquharson, Esq., of 

 Lang ton, who holds in hand no fewer than 4500 acres 

 managed by intelligent bailiffs, has the advantage of 



having, under nearly all that extent of land, a chalk I 

 subsoil, which performs, without expense, one of the i 

 moat necessary, but, in many parts of the county, per- 



plexitis ottiees of g« I husbandry— drainage. This laml 

 is chiefly arable, and the course followed is the five-field 

 shifts, the Cl< rs staying two years, and Red Clover 

 occurring in the course once in 10 years. The Turnips, 

 as well as the Mai >lds, are grown on the ridge, and 

 the clod-<*ru>her is used to bind the Wheat-bands instead 

 of the fold, which was formerly used for that purpose. 

 The horse-hoe is kept actively at work amongst the 

 Turnips, about half the bulk of which is drawn for stall- 

 feeding. The roots to be fed off on the land are left in 

 double drills. A cart of the width of two drills is used, 

 eo that the left Turnips are not injured by the wheels, 

 whilst th are distributed evenly over the field. The 

 labourers are paid by "tut" work, the dung-put fillers 

 being paid by the square yard, and the spreaders and 

 ploughmen by the acre. A portion of the ley ground is 

 ploughed early in May and sown to Rape, which is fed 

 off previous to its taking the Wheat in the autumn. 

 From 80 to 100 acres of Italian Ray-grass are sown, 

 and sometimes French Grasses, as a substitute for 

 broad Clover. These are allowed to remain three 

 years, and are fed off, generally by lambs. The 

 stall beasts are kept in the vale during summer, 

 and put up in sheds in October ; they are supplied 



with cut Turnips, bruised Barley, and Linseed, the two 

 latter being made into a "pudding," of. which the 

 beasts have half a gallon a day. The breeding cribs are 

 cemented to prevent the intrusion of rats, and between 

 every two cribs is a small trough, which is kept always 

 full of water from a tank regulated by a ball-cock. 

 Here is another excellent steam-engine, which works a 

 useful threshing-machine. The corn is threshed, win- 

 nowed, sacked, and weighed, and the straw is cut into 

 chaff when wanted concurrently with the threshing. By 

 a simple but ingenious contrivance a bell rings as soon 

 as the sack reaches its proper weight. Newcastle coal 

 having burnt out the bars of the furnace, a vessel is 

 freighted with coal from Scotland. About 6000 sheep, 

 all pure Downs, are kept on the farms, as also from 40 

 to 50 fatting bullocks, and 60 working oxen, chiefly 

 driven by reins in pairs. The tenantry on the estate of 

 Henry Charles Sturt, Esq , of Critchell, are said to have 

 been the first who themselves bought fixed engines for 

 threshing, winnowing, &c. One of the first fixed 

 engines was erected by Mr. Ford, of Rush ton Farm, 

 whose fat Hereford cattle occupy conspicuous places in 

 the prize lists at Christmas. The general system upon 

 this portion of Mr. Sturt's estates is five-field ; 

 but the following course has been found to answer well 

 on stiff soils: — 1. Swedes, fed off late in the 

 spring ; 2. Rape and Turnips, or Turnips alone, fed off 

 in the following fall, and sown to ; 3, Wheat ; 4, Barley; 

 5, Clover; 6, old ley; 7, Wheat. One half of the Wheat 

 stubs are brought into Barley, the other half into Swedes 

 or Turnips ; one-half of the Turnip land fed off is sown 

 to Barley, the late-fed land affording another green crop. 

 This course gives great advantages in the working of 

 the land in unfavourable springs. On Mr. Start's home- 

 farm there is a very perfect fixed steam-engine, which, 

 besides threshing, winnowing, chaff-cutting, breaking 

 bones, cracking Oats, Beans, &c, and dressing flour, 

 pumps water for the supply of the house, stables, farm- 

 yard, &c., and saws the wood for all buildings erected 

 on the estate, cutting up in a summer's day 1400 feet of 

 Oak or Elm, or 1800 of Fir timber. The engine is 

 equal to this and the grinding of Barley at the same 

 time ; the boiler is tubular, and the consumption of 

 coal about 5 cwt. for 12 hours. Mangolds are grown 

 in this manner— During the winter, long dung is 

 carted out, spread, and ploughed in, a subsoil- 

 plough following. In the spring the land is found 

 to work very freely, and it is again ploughed 

 and worked about until reduced to a fine tilth. 

 A sack, or 6 bushels, of bones, mixed with ashes, drop- 

 pings of fatting beasts, &c, are sown broadcast, at the 

 rate of 80 to 100 bushels per acre. The plough follows 

 close and throws up the land in ridges, about 2 feet 

 apart. A very light roller is drawn along the ridges to 

 plane the surface, and men, women, and boys, follow 

 with the seed in aprons, and dibble three or four seeds 

 in at intervals of 12 inches. Another rolling completes 

 the process. The plants are singled by hand, horse- 

 hoed two or three times, and the soil between the plants 

 is deeply hoed by hand. The crops have always been 

 excellent without exception ; the cost of putting in the 

 seed is 5*. an acre, exclusive of horse labour and carter's ; 

 and last year the crop of Mangolds was about 42 tons 

 per acre ; Swedes are sown on the flat A flock of 350 

 ewes are kept, the whole of the sheep sold being in a 

 fat condition. The tups are put out about 12th Sept. 

 The ewes seasoned in the first week are marked No. 1 " 

 those of the second week, No. 2, and so on. At the 

 time of lambing they are taken into the yard in 

 numerical order, to be under the eye of the shepherd • 

 and it has happened invariably that since this plan has' 

 been followed— 12 or IS years— at shearing time, a 

 reater number of lambs were living than there had 

 been ewes put to the ram. As many as from 400 to 

 500 pigs are kept on the farm. In the five-field course 

 a portion of the ley ground is sometimes broken up and 

 sown to Rape and Turnips. Mr. J. A. Damen, who 

 occupies a chalk farm near to the Bagshot sands at 

 W infnth, says, it is not unusual to let the sheep run over 

 the Clover after the Barley is off ; but it pulls up the 

 plant, and the Clover is not half so good in the ear 

 Some sow it after the Barley, and give it a tine with 

 the harrows ; but he thinks it best to sow it with the 

 Barley, give it one tine and a rolling. Italian Bye is 

 sometimes grown in this neighbourhood, instead of 

 clover ; it comes very early in the spring, and the 



Clovers are ready for them. « We very ofieu " 

 Mr. Damen, "have lambs upon Lt in Janu ' ^ 

 February. I have fed it twice ; then cut it foThT** 

 then seeded it, and had 40 bushel «,i seed per 

 A good deal of fat beef and many sheep are err *^*? 

 this district, and it is computed that where onelHlryJ 

 grazed 20 years ago there are now a score fata!? 

 The consumption of oil-cake is very large • and artifcla 

 manures are extensively applied.— Journal of the B^ 

 A gricul tural Society of England. ^* 



was 



Miscellaneous. 



Callages. — For the purposes of the dairy 1 acre of 

 Cabbages is considered to be worth 3 of Turn 

 They require to be raised from seeds sown in leds » 

 autumn or spring, and transplanted into the fieU 

 towards the end of May, or in the beginning of J im » 

 and will be ready for use in October. One lb. of seed 

 will produce 24,000 plants, and about 8000 plant* ait 

 required to an acre of ground. The bed.-, must be wefl 

 sheltered, and have a free exposure to the sunofth* 

 whole day. 



Calendar of Operations. 



APRIL. 



"West Sussex. —There is little to speak of now but the very drr 

 days, and the cold, and sometimes frosty nights ; and, as & matt* 

 of course, cattle and sheep have got on short allowance. Them 

 is hardly a Turnip to be seen now, and the, Clover weds are not 

 come to hand, so that all kinds of shifts must be tried. To m 

 liay now is out of the question, as the sheep would rather starre 

 than eat it. A little picking of Grass, with a pound of cake, Is 

 now their resource; and they apply themselves vigorously totbt 

 pond as they did last year. Mangold Wurzel has been more 

 than useful this year in carrying the stock through; but now all 

 is done. As a consequence the sale of lean stock is at a stand: 

 but we cannot yet say that the prices are lower, tor it seems t 

 be felt that one little warm shower will put us all afloat again. 

 "With fat cattle there is no difficulty in parting at fair prices an I the 

 same with sheep ; perhaps a trifle below 5*. per stone is the fig 



Lambs are a good sale, but they are brought into market be e 

 they are hardly fit ; about 6s. per stone is their valae. Kespeet % 

 the crops there is nothing to complain of. The "Wheat lo i 

 extremely well, and is now growing fast, notwithstanding e 

 frosty nights and east winds. Barley and ©ate have come cp 

 well ; but without rain soon, we cannot expect them to cont 

 so long. But it will be some time before the Wheat suffers m i b. 

 as the frost had so pulverised the top of the soil that it now n 

 fine and close in the best possible state for retaining moisture. 

 The spring has not been favourable for top-dre ing the Wheat 

 as guano (which I expect will after all prove the best dressing, 

 would in such weather lose all its good in the air. But it will not 

 yet be too late if rain comes soon. The Turnip land is as easily 

 prepared as it can be; there are no weeds to take out, and by 

 keeping the roller close behind the cross ploughing all tendency 

 to hardening is prevented; so that, though work at one time- 

 appeared behind, it will now be got as forward as is desirable. G.8> 



Notices to Correspondents. 



Artificial Guano : A' IF. We do not know the guano of wbi 

 you send an analysis, and the analysis sent gives no in 

 to its real value. "Organic matter and ammoniacal salts 3t 

 per cent." may mean anything. And unit you actually know 

 the quantity of ammonia capable of , evolution t i the 

 guano, you cannot judge of its quality. Organic matter m*f 

 be worthless as manure. 



Books: S. You had better get Dr. Lindley"s " Theory d 

 Horticulture.' 7 



Cattle Gauge: Old Svl briber. E wart's cattle gang* fjfr<*r 



22, Charlotte Street, Blackfriars Road, is the best. We regret 

 to have been unable to answer this before Fi if, t>yp*«> 

 when you say it would have been useless to you. 



Chandler's Liquid M.v re Dbill : Anon. You had War 

 apply to Carson, of Warminster, Wilts, and to Tarter « 

 Fowle, of Andover, Hants. The one firm makes Chandlery 

 and the other Spooner's liquid manure drill. Both sow mm 

 as well as manure, and you can compare the reports J» 

 receive and judge for yourself. • . 



Corn Manure : A Constant Reader. We should not like *£ JjJ* 

 to any single dressing of manure to ensure a crop 0l JJJjJ 

 after grain on land that has been cross cropped for **?* 

 years. Your best chance is to get the whole land y 10 ™» L 

 tilled during the autumn, and manured then with dung £ 

 some, however small, extent— to sow Beans alter the " u * 

 and spring Wheat after the Barley and Oats as ^ rl ?*f.f io 

 sible in the spring, top-dressing with gu and hoeing 

 in April. ^ 



Guardian Societv, Manchester: 0*6 who was p u Pf . a 

 oblige us by his address. This question is in reference 

 swindler detected by the Guardian Society. *i« tht 



Nettles: G W. Their roots must be forked up. Tbfttw 

 only plan to get rid of them. 



Oats for Fodder: J Irvin. We would rather sow 



3 trnsb 



3 



Vetches and 1 bushel of Oats in May per acre for ; cutt 11 "Sr 

 in September than sow Oats for that purpose by tben*^ 

 But we do not know how Vetches -it in your c0 " tt ^» 

 perhaps as the land is just broken up it may be worw " -^ 

 pare and burn it, and SOW Kapo seed, than to attemy 

 Vetches or Oats. ree£^ 



Taste of Butter : Dairymaid. The principle of . al1 ^ - t » 

 attempts to get rid of the taste of roots in milk is » * ^ 

 liquid hot for longer time than usual, bo to cau** ' \^ 

 poration of the aroma. This and cleanliness win s 

 succeed. ♦ 



Value of Pigeons' Dung: The following information^^^j 

 point has just appeared in the Journal ot the 3g ^_ 



letter 



from 



Improvement Society of Ireland, in the form of i ]nnf w 

 Professor Apjohn:— "The 1 t way, I believe, o y2\wM 



Mr. Smyth's inquiries in relation to pigeons aung «»- . 

 agent, is to direct his attention to the iollowin 4 



• • # 



numbers, deduced from the best analyses : 



Farm -yard manure, moist 

 Pigeons* dung, fresh 

 Peruvian guano 



• » • 



• - * 



• • • 



100* 



" From these data, it appears that pigeons diwff J* 

 state is. weight for weight, about six times as \ w« 



• * • 



• « » 



«•• 



■ 



• • • 



• ■ « 



jreruvian guano in the ratio ver> u« v - i:^ tow? 

 therefore, in which 4 cwt. of guano would be an expec te« * 

 of tillage, 16 cwt. of fresh pigeon*' dung may **» 



produce an equivalent action. . ^-nnr * *' 



" As to « the best way of managing p son rnann^ ^ 



say that, while fresh, it shoul be i > »»; mm Mi***2 



and peat charcoal, to prevent ' 1<* ; ^ , 

 would otherwise occur durin- its uesiccati ' purffttf 1 * 

 compost should be used for g :: :her 



the manner in which guano is applied. 





